5 High-Tech Cruise Ship Facilities That Will Blow Your Mind
February 11, 2019
By now, you may be familiar with the idea of Princess Cruises' OceanMedallion, a wearable gadget that uses the latest technology to help streamline your cruise experience. However, whether you're already aware of its fantastic benefits or not, it's time to take a deep dive into what this device can do to enhance your holiday.
With options to wear it on your wrist, around your neck or simply clipped to your belt loop, the medallion starts to make life easy even before you get on the ship. There is a variety of different features to discover, so let's take a look at some of them. But first, here's a list of the ships that already have, or soon will have, OceanMedallion.
Caribbean Princess
Crown Princess
Regal Princess
Royal Princess
Sky Princess
Ruby Princess (January 27, 2020)
Grand Princess (March 29, 2020)
Enchanted Princess (June 15, 2020)
Emerald Princess (August 16, 2020)
Coral Princess (October 16, 2020)
Island Princess (December 20, 2020)
Discovery Princess (November 3, 2021)
This may be the most basic feature of this wearable but you shouldn't underestimate its impact. There will be no more frantic checking of pockets or fumbling through bags looking for your room key. As long as you're wearing the medallion, simply approach your cabin door and it will instantly unlock. Having detected your arrival, the system releases the door and all you need to do is pull down the handle.
With cruise ships being akin to floating cities these days, it's easy to find yourself wondering around without really knowing where you're going. You can forget about getting lost on board a Princess Cruises MedallionClass ship, though, thanks to the tracking capability of this intelligent disc. By using the MedallionClass smartphone app or one of the many portals around the vessel, you can pinpoint where you would like to go and then receive turn-by-turn directions to help get you there. Known as OceanCompass, this service will even show you a 3D model of the ship so you can see how to move between decks.
A similar feature is called ShipMates. However, instead of finding your way to a particular venue, you can use it to find other people in your travel party. The system will locate your family and friends and show you the quickest way to reunite with them. You can even add newly made friends to your list of contacts via the app.
Services like Deliveroo and Uber Eats have made it easy to order our favourite foods wherever we are, and OceanMedallion's OceanNow feature allows you to do this on board too. Whether you find yourself lounging by the pool, getting ready in your cabin or waiting for friends in the Piazza, you can order from selected bars and restaurants and the items will come to you.
As you track the progress of your order via the app, the crew member will use your medallion to find your location without you having to lift a finger. Well, you may have to lift a finger to select your order, but you get what we mean. This can also be extended to requesting things like a towel by the pool and more ice for your cabin.
If you really want to get the most out of the OceanMedallion, you should start using the features way before you even set foot on board the ship. By downloading the app and getting yourself 'Ocean Ready', as Princess Cruises puts it, you will save yourself so much time and stress during embarkation day. Create your profile and link it to your booking and you will be given the option to order your OceanMedallion in advance and have it sent to your home address.
If you then upload your passport details and a photograph, all you need to do on the day is scan your medallion and go through a short security check. The first day of your cruise has never been so easy.
One final, and very useful, feature of this innovation is the ability to pay for purchases whilst on board. This can be anything from souvenirs in the gift shop to drinks at the bar or games in the casino. All will be added to your account ready for you to settle-up at the end of your cruise. Incidentally, if you are someone that loves to try their luck in the casino, you can use the portals around the ship and the MedallionClass app to spin and win on the go. There's even the opportunity to try out the games that will be available on the ship at home before you set sail.
If the idea of OceanMedallion has you excited, why not consider a sailing with Princess Cruises for your next holiday? Call our team to discuss the itineraries we have available.
